After collecting the dry medicine and returning home, Mu Jian called Mu Jiao Long into the Ancestor's Hall and closed the door for a private talk. Mu Jiao Long knew the news of his misconduct at the mill must have already reached Mu Jian's ears, so instead of arguing, he glanced at Mu Jian and slowly knelt before the Mu ancestor spirit tablets.
Mu Jian stared angrily down at his son. He yelled madly, "You are the head of the household! You are supposed to be an example for the others to follow, and yet, you have failed again and again!"
Mu Jiao Long muttered, his voice barely audible, "Why not choose a different household leader..."
"You!" Mu Jian angrily pointed a trembling finger at Mu Jiao Long. "How dare you still say that, huh?! Just because everyone loves you and babies you, you have the audacity to have us yield for you every time you fail your job and family duty!" He glared angrily down at Mu Jiao Long. "Do you think being the head of the household came easily? Do you think you are the only one that is fit for this title? If you continue to do what you do, sooner or later, you're going to lose that position and be kicked out of the house!"
Mu Jiao Long finally broke down, the weight of the pressure crushing him. "Then maybe, perhaps, I don't want to be the family household and take all these responsibilities!"
Consumed by fury, Mu Jian moved with brutal speed. He snatched the heavy punish stick and brought it down across Mu Jiao Long's back with three vicious, cracking blows. He raised his hand for the fourth strike, his breath ragged, when he finally saw it: the dark wood of the stick was smeared with Mu Jiao Long's blood.
His anger instantly curdled into a heavy, defeated sigh. "Jiao Long," he said, his voice dropping to a raw, emotional plea, "people don't fear you because of how great your skills are. People fear you because of how great your reputation is. You keep that in mind."
Mu Jian dropped the punishment stick and walked out of the door. Lao He quickly closed the door behind him.
Mu Jian sighed and said, "Lao He, go to er gongzi's room and bring out the wound ointment and apply it on da gongzi . He is to kneel in there until dinner."
Mu He gently bowed. "Yes, Master Jian."
When it was time for dinner, Mu He walked into the family ancestor hall.
Mu He announced, "Da gongzi, it's time for dinner."
Mu Jiao Long quickly got up and said, "I am not hungry." He ran out of the ancestor hall and went directly to Wang Changming's courtyard.
Mu Jiao Long hurried to find Wang Changming and found him sitting in a small pavilion in the backyard. The two young men chatted endlessly until it was close to midnight.
Sitting in the small pavilion, Mu Jiao Long was smiling and intently listening to Wang Changming's medical experiences. Mu Jiao Long was stunned by the stories Wang Changming told him. He opened his mouth wide and exclaimed, "It's amazing! How did you come up with that idea?"
Wang Changming explained, "I didn't know if it would work at the time, but the mother was dead, so I decided to cut her open and save the two puppies." He looked at Mu Jiao Long. "Jiao Long, what does your family usually eat during the Lantern Festival?"
Mu Jiao Long looked confused. "I don't know. I don't pay attention to these things at all." He looked at Wang Changming. "Why do you ask?"
Wang Changming smiled. "It's nothing."
Mu Jiao Long asked, "What about your family?"
Wang Changming's expression softened with memory. "On the Lantern Festival, when my mother was still alive, she usually used black sesame seeds to make tangyuan for me. Since her death, no one has made it for me."
Mu Jiao Long murmured, "Tangyuan..." He scratched his head and looked at Wang Changming curiously.
That night, Mu Jiao Long lay restlessly on his bed, tossing and turning. The ache in his bones from the kneeling punishment was overshadowed by an anxious feeling. He looked at the dark ceiling and muttered to himself, "Tangyuan… who knows how to make... ah..." He scratched his head, sat on the edge of the bed, got dressed, and walked out. He then saw Mu Jiao, his aunt, still awake, snorting bad grains of rice from good ones.
Mu Jiao raised her head and shouted, "Jiao Long, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Mu Jiao Long grabbed a low stool and sat down to help Mu Jiao sort the rice. He frowned. "Aunt Jiao, I have some questions."
Mu Jiao raised an eyebrow, teasing him. "Aiyo, is there anything in this world that the great Jiao Long of the Mu Clan can't understand?"
Mu Jiao Long put on a long face. "I'm being serious. You can stop teasing me."
Mu Jiao laughed. "Alright... alright... I won't tease you anymore, just ask."
Mu Jiao Long hesitated. "Aunt Jiao, why do some people make you think about them? For example, you are happy when you see them and miss them when you don't. Also, when they laugh, it makes you smile without reason or explanation."
Mu Jiao's eyes widened. "Aiyo, there is such a person that can make you feel this way? Am I dreaming? I thought you swore that what you love most is martial arts! Come to think of it, you're at that age when you begin to have love feelings for girls." She laughed heartily. "Those are called 'love feelings.' Who is your secret lover?"
Mu Jiao Long questioned, his voice uncertain. "Love feelings...?"
"Yes, love feelings," Mu Jiao confirmed. "What you feel is called love." She looked closely at Mu Jiao Long. "So, who is the lucky lady?"
Mu Jiao Long stammered. "Uh?"
"Who is the lady? Tell me! I'll ask your father to propose to her as soon as possible when he returns. You are now twenty-two years old! Most people your age already have one or two children!"
Mu Jiao Long insisted. "No one."
Mu Jiao frowned. "Liar."
Mu Jiao Long quickly covered his lie. "I've read it in a certain book, and it was recommended by Wang... Wang gongzi."
Mu Jiao didn't look convinced. "Really?"
"Really, Aunt Jiao," Mu Jiao Long rushed on. "Why do people eat tangyuan?"
Mu Jiao laughed. "Tangyuan is eaten during the Lantern Festival. Do you want to eat tangyuan?" She paused, looking at him. "Oh... the Lantern Festival is tomorrow! Aiyo, since your grandmother passed away, we really haven't celebrated anymore."
Mu Jiao Long pressed her. "Aunt Jiao, do you know how to make tangyuan?"
Mu Jiao smiled sweetly. "Of course I do."
Mu Jiao Long asked eagerly, "Please teach me?"
Mu Jiao chuckled, her eyes sparkling. "It's for your crush, right?"
Mu Jiao Long frowned deeply. "You said you would stop teasing me!"
"Alright... I will teach you," she conceded.
On the first night of the Lantern Festival, Wang Bo poured a cup of tea and handed it to Wang Changming. He looked at him with concern. "Gongzi, are you going out? There has never been such an opportunity at home."
Wang Changming replied, "Go if you want."
Wang Bo asked gently, "Are you missing Wang furen?"
"Lao Bo, you go," Wang Changming said, avoiding the question. "If you see anything that looks delicious, you can bring some back for me."
"Gongzi, are you sure?"
Wang Changming smiled. "I'm sure."
Wang Bo knew that during the Lantern Festival, Wang Changming always wanted to be alone, so he decided to join the celebration. He stood up. "Then I am leaving, and I will go celebrate with the other elders."
Wang Changming smiled and waved him off. "Go, while the night is still young."
Wang Changming was sitting in his room when he heard several knocks outside the door. He looked up and saw that it was Mu Jiao Long. He smiled. "Mu gongzi, I thought you were not at home."
Mu Jiao Long walked in with a small pot and put it down on the table. He looked at Wang Changming and asked, his voice a little strained, "Would you like to try some tangyuan?"
Wang Changming thought he had misheard. "Huh?"
Mu Jiao Long stammered, blushing slightly. "Would you like to try some tangyuan?"
"You made tangyuan?" Wang Changming asked.
"No, Aunt Jiao made them. A few nights ago, you talked about tangyuan with black sesame seed?"
Wang Changming smiled. "Yes...?"
Mu Jiao Long asked again, his hope visible. "Would you like to try?"
"Sure, I will try," Wang Changming agreed.
Mu Jiao Long smiled, quickly opened the pot, and poured some tangyuan into a bowl. He looked at Wang Changming awkwardly. "Even if the tangyuan are imperfect, they are edible."
Wang Changming looked at the bowl. The tangyuan were indeed imperfect—some flat, some too big, and some too small. He grabbed the spoon and slowly took one into his mouth, chewing slowly.
Mu Jiao Long watched him expectantly. "How is it?"
"It's okay, it's still edible," Wang Changming said, putting another spoonful of the imperfect tangyuan into his mouth. "Mu gongzi, how many times have you been in the kitchen?"
"One time."
"Is this the only time you walked into the kitchen to make this pot of tangyuan?"
Mu Jiao Long looked at him, confused. "Yes."
Wang Changming ate another spoonful. "No wonder."
Mu Jiao Long was not convinced. "Why are you still eating? Is it good?"
"Yes," Wang Changming insisted.
Mu Jiao Long, suspicious, snatched the spoon from Wang Changming's hand and took a spoonful himself. He stuffed the spoon into his mouth. What he tasted was hard and thick raw flour. He looked at Wang Changming and asked, "Should the tangyuan be sweet or salty?"
Wang Changming smiled innocently. "Sweet."
Mu Jiao Long spat out the tangyuan. "Stop eating it! I might have used salt instead of sugar!"
Wang Changming smiled and grabbed the spoon back. "It's okay. It's edible."
Mu Jiao Long grabbed Wang Changming's hand. "Stop eating! I know it's not good!" He knocked the pot of tangyuan off the table in frustration.
Wang Changming, still holding his bowl, said softly, "What I put into my mouth is not tangyuan, but kindness. Therefore, it tastes good."
Mu Jiao Long frowned with genuine concern. "I don't want you to get sick because of the food I cooked!"
Wang Changming looked at Mu Jiao Long and asked, teasing, "If I get sick, will the great Mu gongzi take care of me until my illness is cured?"
Mu Jiao Long looked at Wang Changming and let out a low, rough growl of promise. "Hmm..." Wang Changming took the remaining tangyuan in the bowl and drank the liquid all at once. Mu Jiao Long grabbed Wang Changming's hand in alarm. "You... spit it out!"
Wang Changming smiled. "I can't, because I have swallowed it."
"Why?" Mu Jiao Long asked, exasperated.
Wang Changming smiled lightly. "Because I really want to know how the great Mu gongzi will take care of me if I get sick."
Mu Jiao Long threw his hands up. "Ridiculous!"
Wang Changming laughed. "Just kidding, it's actually not that bad. No matter whether it's sweet or salty, it's just flour and water. It depends on what we add to it."
Mu Jiao Long looked thoughtful. "Would that be the same as people?"
"I guess so..."
Mu Jiao Long asked, his voice dropping slightly. "Changming, do you have anyone you like?"
Wang Changming gave a measured reply. "I don't have many people that I like, and not many people like me."
Mu Jiao Long clarified. "It's another kind of like."
"What kind of like?"
Mu Jiao Long hesitated. He got up from the table and walked slowly to the door, his cheeks hot and cold sweat slipping down his back. He clasped his hands tightly and began to describe the feeling. "The feeling of suddenly becoming happy when you see that person. When this person speaks, you feel that, among all the other sounds around you, all you hear is that person's voice."
Wang Changming walked slowly toward Mu Jiao Long, his eyes intense. "The feeling that if you move your eyes away from that person, somehow they will disappear."
Mu Jiao Long turned around and walked slowly towards Wang Changming. "When the person smiles, his smile flutters your heart."
Wang Changming leaned closer. "Your belly will be filled with butterflies." He leaned closer until his face was only a paper-thin distance from Mu Jiao Long's face. He smiled, challenging him. "Who is that lucky person?"
Mu Jiao Long saw the smile and the moonlight shining in Wang Changming's eyes. He slowly moved closer until the tips of their noses touched. He whispered the answer. "You."
Wang Changming looked into Mu Jiao Long's eyes and smiled broadly. "Da yingxiong, your sword is out of the sheath!" He laughed.
Mu Jiao Long immediately lowered his head, quickly covered his crotch with both hands in embarrassment, and rushed out of Wang Changming's room.